Asthma Stinks, But You Can Do Something About It!

A diagnosis of asthma can affect all areas of your life, whether you yourself have been recently diagnosed with the condition or perhaps if you are caregiver to an asthmatic. Combined with the information and instructions given by a licensed healthcare professional, these tips and tricks can be the first step to relief of asthma symptoms.

If you want to use a humidifier or a vaporizer, clean it thoroughly. If it contains dust or anything else, your lungs will be bothered by the particles contained in the vapor. Let your humidifiers and vaporizers stand in water for a while and make sure they are dry before you use them.

Are you informed about what type of asthma you suffer from? If you know as much as you can about the kind of asthma that you have, you can find out how to battle it day-by-day. For example, if your asthma is induced by exercise, it might be wise to always have an inhaler in your gym bag. If you know and understand your asthma triggers, you can better avoid and handle attacks.

Avoid keeping potted plants in your home. Certain plants might have a smell or change the nature of the air you breathe in a way that triggers asthma. If you want to keep plants, pay close attention to your symptoms and be ready to remove the plants if you notice any changes.

Be careful of what profession you choose if you have asthma. Certain jobs like painters, bakers, health workers, and farm workers involve using chemicals or materials that could worsen your asthma or cause an asthma attack. Try to stick with jobs in which you will be in a healthy environment all day.

While exercising, to avoid an attack or to overcome a mild attack take these two steps. Step One: thrust all of the air out of your lungs, really force it. Step Two: create an "O" shape with your lips, almost like you are about to whistle, but not that narrow, then forcibly suck air back into your lungs until you are comfortably filled with air. Repeat these steps as long as you are exercising and are worried about an attack. The breathing creates a rhythm so that you are aware of your breathing. It also causes you to mildly hyperventilate, pumping more oxygen into your bloodstream.

Exercise

If you are going to exercise, start very slowly. Sudden exercise such as taking off running can trigger asthma for most people. You can exercise, but do some warming up exercises that will gradually increase your heart rate until you feel comfortable with harder exercises. Do not force yourself to exercise if you feel you are going to have an asthma attack.

Make sure you do not have any stress in your life because emotional anxiety may, in fact, trigger asthma symptoms. Proper rest, diet, and exercise are important for your overall health and can help you manage your asthma symptoms. Emotional health is as important as physical health in your life.

If you have asthma, you should be cautious when starting exercise or workout programs. In the worst case scenario, the increased respiratory activity from exercise will induce an asthma attack. Whenever you involve yourself in a new exercise program, even if it is something as simple as jogging, you should take it slowly and be certain that at every step of the way, you are not doing something that your body cannot handle.

Now that you have become more familiar with the basic principles and hidden ways of coping with this respiratory condition, you can be well on your way to providing relief from the key symptoms of asthma, especially shortness of breath. You can also use your newly discovered knowledge to identify the main triggers of asthma.